Farewell to Shady Glade

My mom read the Bill Peet stories to my brother, sister and I when we were little and to this day I still remember them all. They are such great books, all with great characters and a little moral at the end. Good memories! I would definitely recommend these books to anyone, kids or no!

This is a gentle tale about a woodland community who must find a new home because of encroaching urban development upon their land. It is a story about small creatures who must be brave and seek out a new safe place for themselves, despite the unknowns ahead. The courageous decision of the group to leave their familiar home and embark on a journey to find a new "safe place" really speaks to my five year old who is nervous about the change from Preschool to Kindergarten this fall. She loves the "nice old brave raccoon," and says, "all the animals are so brave!" This book has helped show her that although transition can be scary, it can also be worked through; it has been comforting and reassuring for her. I recommend this for any young child who is approaching a transition in their life.

Bill Peet worked for Disney animating such classics as 101 Dalmations. His "solo" work, however, eclipses his contributions to Disney's films. Shady Glade is the peak of Peet's storytelling and artistry. It's a great story about a group of forest creatures who's home is about to be destroyed by the progress of man. They leave their home, ironically, on the very instrument that brought man so quickly across the continent, a train, in search of a new shady glade.Peet's sketches are beautiful, the story is simple with a moral, and his charaterizations of woodland creatures are classic.This was my favorite book as a child. I highly recommend it.

This is one of Bill Peet's best books in which he dedicates it, "...with the hope that the new generation will carry on...preserving what is left of our natural world."A wise old racoon and several animal friends are forced to evacuate their peaceful shady glade after big city construction overtakes their paradise. They catch a passing train and begin their quest for a new home.

I remember this book from my own childhood and its message has never left me: take care of some space for the animals to live. The story has great characters and the illustrations are wonderful. The animal's journey from their doomed home to a new one is well worth sharing with your child.